Fallout: Last Light
by McFusterCluck
Summary: These are the tales of multiple people before, during, and immediately after the Great War of 2077. Please leave reviews!
1. Chapter 1: Arrival

October 18th, 2077  
Corporal James Matthews  
US Army  
Seattle, Washington

Twelve hours. It had been twelve hours since Corporal Matthews waited at the makeshift airfield in Shanghai, China, for his flight home. And six hours before that, he was on the frontlines, fighting Chinese forces. Looking out of the plane and into the cold and rainy outdoors, James felt strange. Even though this was where he was from, after fighting in China for three months, it sort of became his new home. James rose from his seat on the plane, and opened the overhead compartment and grabbed his bag. He adjusted his dress hat, as to look good for the press. Ahead of him, other soldiers were anxious to get off of the aircraft; to see their loved ones, to get home, to get out of the damn war.

James should have been happy, but he knew things the others hadn't. James was the only remaining member of his original squad, and the other eleven members were replacements. In most other circumstances, James would have been promoted to squad leader, but he turned it down. With his experience, and from interrogating a few Chinese officers, he found out that a large nuclear strike was on the table with the Chinese government. The US High Command knew this too, but were trying to stabilize the situation.

When James got off of the plane, he braced for reporters everywhere, cheering civilians, and a brass band playing. None of that happened. Instead, there were a few people waiting, mostly family of the soldiers. There was no cheering. There was no band. There were no reporters. Most of the soldiers understood why. The Food Riots. The War Riots. The Plague Riots. In all, the people weren't pleased with their government.

James got past the few people and stood inside the airport, waiting for his best buddy, and the first replacement, Kyle Stark. Kyle walked into the airport, amid the stream of soldiers, and was flagged down by James. Kyle strode over to James, and the two walked through the airport.

" Well, what'd you think?" Kyle asked.

" Of the War? You know the answer already, Kyle," James muttered.

" Oh I know, but I meant the flight," Kyle chuckled.

" Oh, the flight? It felt weird. I have a fear of flying, after the Hotel Kilo incident."

" Yeah. I had the thought of being intercepted on my mind the whole time," Kyle responded.

" Same. Say, you wanna come back to the base apartment and chill out for a little while?" James asked.

Kyle looked at his watch and then said, " Sure. Yeah I'll come. I do live in the next building, you know."

James laughed, and the two went to the train station outside the airport.

The train was a lot more packed. It was difficult for the two soldiers to find a seat, but they found a good one. A few other servicemen were on board, and a few exchanged looks. A lady selling concessions came down the aisle with a trolley, and asked, " You heroes need something to eat? Drink?" The two nodded.

" What would y'all want?" she asked, glancing at her trolley.

" I'll have a Nuka-Cola Cherry and a ham sandwich," Kyle said, slouching back.

" Just a Nuka for me," James added.

The lady smiled and grabbed what they wanted and set them on the table.

" How much?" James asked, reaching for his wallet.

The lady held out her hand and said, " Nothing. You two are military, so you guys get it for free."

Kyle raised his eyebrows and said, " Oh, sweet!"

The lady pulled out a bottle opener and popped off the caps of the sodas and then James said, " Could I get the caps? I collect them." The lady shrugged and handed them to James, who stuck them in his bag.

" Why do you collect caps, of all things?" Kyle asked as the lady continued down the aisle.

James looked at him with a grin and said, " Hey, if the world goes into even more deeper shit, this may be the new form of money."

Kyle laughed and said, " As if."

" You heard the officers, Kyle. You never know," James said, reminding Kyle. Kyle turned to his Cola, and shrugged. He took a gulp and took a bite of his sandwich. He held it in one hand and pointed at it, saying, " This is real good. Bite?"

" Nah."

" So, you two are military, huh?" someone said to the right of the two soldiers.

" Yes, sir," James responded instinctively.

A man got up from across the aisle and sat down next to Kyle, making him scoot down.

" Can we help you, sir?" Kyle asked, his mouth full.

" Actually, yes. I want to know what it's like," the man said sternly.

" What what's like?" James asked, taking a drink of his soda.

" What it's like to kill innocent civilians, because they don't have food," the man asked, his tone rising.

Kyle dropped his sandwich into the paper wrapping, and said, " We weren't involved, sir. We just got back from China."

The man leaned back against the seat, and said, " You military are all involved." He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small picture. He dropped it onto the table and pointed at it, saying, " My daughter, Jaclyn. She happened to be walking through downtown Portland during their Food Riot a few days ago. Military held her at gunpoint to try and stop the rioters. They stopped, and she got shot anyways. You keep this."

The man got up and walked back to his seat. James spun the picture around to face him. In it was an eleven or twelve year old girl standing in front of a fountain.

The man got off in Tacoma, and then Kyle spoke up.

" We didn't do anything like that, did we?" he asked quietly.

James shook his head.

" Attention, passengers. We will be approaching Fort Lewis. If you are getting off here, we are glad you chose Northwest Railways," a man over the intercom said.

James grabbed his bag as the train began screeching to a halt. When it stopped, he, Kyle, and the other servicemen all got off. It was still raining, and it was dreary. MP's stood idly at the exit of the train station. They didn't even ask for I.D., they just let the servicemen pass through. James' apartment wasn't far from the station, and it was a short walk.

When they got to the apartment, James fumbled around, looking for his key. When he found it, he unlocked the door and walked inside.

" SURPRISE!"

James flicked on the lights to see his family and friends all scattered around his living room. Kyle's family was there too. James walked around to socialize. He was finally home at last.


	2. Chapter 2: The Air Force

October 19th, 2077  
Captain Gary Sanders  
US Air Force  
Edwards AFB, California

Gary leaned back in his wheeled chair and sighed. He couldn't believe that Mojave, California, and Lancaster had grown to populations rivaling Bakersfield and Sacramento. That meant more threats. It was early in the evening, and Gary was staying in late due to heightened threats of nuclear attack. He opened up cameras on the sixteen nuclear silos across the area, and the atomic bomb storage. He took a slurp of bitter coffee, and coughed a little bit. " Blegh," he mumbled. The door behind him opened, and in stepped Sergeant Will Nichols, one of his three other station mates.

" Anything interesting?" Nichols asked, sitting down at his station.

" Yeah, actually. I got a feed from one of the CIA agents in Beijing. He was only available for about two minutes, but he revealed some shocking stuff," Gary responded, staring into his screen.

" Like?" Nichols asked, facing Gary.

Gary swiveled his char around and said, " Well, apparently, the Chinese are going to try and invade the Soviet Union for _their_ oil. Not only that, but the Soviets might invade them! China is really backing themselves into a corner."

" Think it might go nuclear?" Senior Airman Eduardo Hernandez asked from his station.

" I hope not," Seaman Billy Harris responded.

" Hey, look!" Hernandez called, pointing out the window. Gary glanced up and saw three P-80 Shooting Star's taking off into the sky, on a routine patrol. Ten seconds after they lifted off, a lumbering B-29 took off.

" That's odd," Will said.

" It is. Lemme call the Tower," Gary said, picking up the phone.

" Command, this is NORAD Station 3790. We have a question. Thank you. We've never seen fighters escorting a bomber before. Is something going on?" he asked. He nodded a few times, then thanked the Tower and hung up.

" Well?" Harris asked.

" They're running drill missions. Apparently, we're at DEFCON 2 right now," Gary said.

" Good thing we foresaw this," Hernandez said, smiling.

Gary kicked his feet up on his controls, as there was nothing that could possibly ruin his week.


	3. Chapter 3: Deployment

October 19th, 2077  
Corporal James Matthews  
US Army  
Fort Lewis, Washington

" Jesus, it's like they're moving the entire goddamn Army out here," Kyle said. To James, it looked like Kyle was right. Dozens of nuclear-powered tanks rolled down the main road, followed by more trucks filled with troops. Prototype Vertibirds soared over. James fidgeted with his uniform, and leaned against the mess hall.

" Wanna take a guess at how many troops?" James asked, laughing.

" Shit. I'm gonna say over a thousand," Kyle responded, checking his watch.

A M34 Washington tank pulled off of the convoy, towards the two. The hatch opened, and an officer poked his head out.

" What outfit are you with?!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

" 2nd Platoon, 6th Battalion, 18th Mechanized Division! We're on leave, sir!" James yelled back.

" Alright, never mind! Thanks, and God Bless America!" the officer responded, crawling back into his machine. The tank drove back into the convoy.

" It's funny how the weather is up here," Kyle commented. The sky was mostly clear, with a few puffy white clouds in the sky. Mount Rainier stood tall and proud above the base, with a little ash spewing out.

" You think she's gonna go off soon?" James asked. Kyle shrugged.

" Funny you mention that. USGS is saying that she may go off in the next few days," Kyle explained.

" Mount Saint Helens size?" James asked, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. He drew one and offered one to Kyle, who turned it down.

" Dude, you know the answer to that," Kyle responded.

" I guess I do," James said, taking a drag from his cigarette. He blinked, and exhaled.

" I fear these are our final days, Kyle," James said solemnly.

" Because of the volcano?" Kyle asked.

" No. The Chinese might go nuclear. That means we may too," James responded.

" Don't talk like that, James. It would take a dump over everything we've done," Kyle responded quietly.

Suddenly, a large group of soldiers ran past them, one of them yelling, " Everyone to the mess! President's making a message!" Kyle and James followed them to the mess hall.

The mess hall was filled to the brim with soldiers. James and Kyle maneuvered their way through the crowd to the front, where the giant TV displayed the Press Room of the White House. The President walked out to the podium, amid camera flashes and yelling reporters. He wore a suit, and had a grim look on his face. He tapped on the microphone, and looked at the ground. Two generals flanked either side of him.

" Hello, ladies and gentlemen. You are all probably wondering why I called this emergency press conference," the President began. The press immediately began shouting questions. The President didn't look amused. " Would you please shut up with your damn questions?!" he shouted. The press quieted down to whispers. The President cleared his throat and started back up again.

" At 11:49 P.M., Eastern Standard Time, our boys were massing for an assault on the far outer defenses of Beijing, home of the Chinks. At this time, a thermobaric device was detonated in the center of our troops, killing all of them. Whether or not this attack was from the Chinese or not, I am raising our status to DEFCON 4. I am calling for 75% of the National Guard to be called up, and nuclear drills to be stepped up for the next month. Thank you."

The President walked off of the stage, with the reporters yelling things. The TV turned off.

The soldiers in the room began saying things among each other.

" Shit, I get back from China to hear this?!"

" I have to get home!"

Kyle and James left the building, and bumped into their C.O, Commander Thomas Lawton. He was in full combat armor, and had an assault rifle on his back.

" Matthews! Stark! I've been looking for you boys! You looked packed, so get in the truck. We're going to Seattle," Lawton said enthusiastically.

" Yes, sir!" the two yelled, saluting. They ran to the nearby truck with an open bed, and hopped in.


	4. Chapter 4: A Shocking Discovery

October 21st, 2077  
Captain Gary Sanders  
US Air Force  
Edwards AFB, California

" Hey, Captain! You should take a look at this!" Nichols yelled from his station. Gary ran over to him, and looked at his screen.

" What the hell are those?! Are those... missile trucks?" Gary said in shock.

" Looks like it, sir," Nichols said.

On the screen was a video feed from a D-13 recon plane, over north China. Dozens of missile launchers were being driven to places in the area.

" Christ. Get the Pentagon on the line, they need to know."


	5. Chapter 5: Seattle

October 22nd, 2077  
Corporal James Matthews  
US Army  
Seattle, Washington

Normally, it would have taken 30 minutes to get to Seattle. But due to traffic, security, and high military presence, it took them three days. The troops had been given rooms in roadside motels, and food was provided by supply trucks. The platoon arrived in downtown Seattle, to keep the peace. Seattle was one of the more peaceful cities in the U.S, and there wasn't much to worry about. The men got out and were given very basic orders: take a place in the downtown area, and protect it. Protect from criminals, commandos, whatever the threat may be.

Kyle and James split, and James went to the Space Needle. He drew his assault rifle, and stood guard. He gave nods to passing civilians, and checked his weapon constantly. Flights of P-80's soared overhead.

Into the evening, James was permitted to get some food. He went to a local restaurant and had a hamburger. He looked at the television and saw that the DEFCON had been reduced to 1, amid Chinese claims that they hadn't used the thermobaric weapons.

" Whew," a man said next to James. It was Kyle.

" Kyle! How was your day?" James exclaimed.

" Just another day in this mans army," Kyle sighed.

The platoon spent the night in the city. For many of them, it would be the last night of their lives.


	6. Chapter 6: Lock-In

October 22nd, 2077  
Harry Lincoln  
Washington, D.C. 

" Alright, kids! Welcome to the Springvale Elementary School lock-in! You'll be staying the night here, so no leaving unless your parents say so! Have fun! Food is in the cafeteria, prepared by Lunchlady Doris!" the teacher announced, before leaving the two hundred kids in the gymnasium of Springvale Elementary. Harry Lincoln, a fifth grader, went over to his friends with his backpack.

" Hey guys! Where are we going to go?!" he asked the group of four.

" Well, we could go to the cafeteria! Or the Forbidden Section?!" Robbie Garrett, Harry's best friend, said.

" How about the playground?" Linda Wilson suggested.

" Yeah, the playground!" everyone cheered. The group went to the outdoor playground and into the autumn night. They rolled out their sleeping bags and began talking.

" So why is it called the Forbidden Sector?" Jimmy Paulson asked, eating chocolate.

" Well, my pa told me that we he went to school, some kids tried to prank another one. Well, things happened, and everyone ended up dead! So now nobody is allowed back there," Robbie said.

" Wow. How's your dad, Harry?" Frankie Johnson asked.

" I don't know. I haven't heard from him in two weeks," Harry responded.

" Where's your dad?" Linda asked, taking a drink of Nuka-Cola.

" He's fighting in the Aleutians right now," Harry responded.

" He's a hero, as are all American soldiers," Jimmy responded.

The five went to sleep at 5 in the morning, only to be awakened in three.


	7. Chapter 7: Ambassador

October 22nd, 2077  
Timothy Graham  
Pouncing Lion Hotel  
New York City

Timothy walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his torso, and stretched. He strode to the TV, and clicked it on. Across all channels, a priority message blared. It showed the face of a T-51b armor clad soldier surrounded by American flags, with _Keeping the Peace_ in large cursive letters at the bottom. Timothy dressed himself, and sat down in a nearby chair. He looked around his room. Two flags sat in either corner of the room, and one large one was nailed to the ceiling. His wife, Kelly, walked into the room, and sat down on the bed. The TV began playing the message.

_Keeping the Peace in Canada! _it said, before showing two Power Armor clad soldiers standing in a street. A man was on his knees in the middle of the street in front of the soldiers, blindfolded. One of the soldiers walked up behind the man, placed a pistol against the back of his head, and fired. The Canadian rioter flew forward, dead. The two soldiers turned to face the camera, and waved. The picture of the Power Armor soldier with the American flags popped up again. Then, Timothy turned off the TV and leaned back.

" What are the plans for dinner?" Kelly asked.

" You can go out, honey. I'll stay here. Check up on the company, you know," Tim responded, walking over to the computer in the corner.

" Okay then, darling. I'll be back around 9," Kelly said, walking out of the room and down the hall.

Tim got up and opened the door to the deck of his hotel room. He looked out over the city, and the traffic. It was definately smaller than it was in the '50's, for sure. Back then, while gas was running low, it was nothing like this. People would drive just to go to the park three blocks down. Now, it was odd for that to happen.

Tim and his wife had been flown into New York for a summit with the Soviets and Chinese. The Soviet ambassador had arrived and was on another hotel. The Chinese ambassador was in his homeland at the time, checking on its forces. He would arrive within the next two days. The war was draining American resources, and killing red-blooded, God fearing American boys.

Timothy hated being an ambassador, and he hate dealing with commies. He was the reason good relations with the Russians were maintained, and was also the reason the Chinese hated the US. Tim also had a feeling atomic war was on the horizon. He brushed it off though, and went down to the hotel restaurant for dinner.


	8. Chapter 8: First Strike

**October 23rd, 2077, 2 A.M.  
**Lieutenant Mike Watson  
US Navy  
USS Enterprise, Sea of Japan

" Viper 2-2, you are clear for takeoff. Maintain patrol course, remain in area Zulu-Bravo, over," the control tower said.

" Wilco," Lt. Watson said, looking around his cockpit. He tested the flaps, then looked outside at the shooter. He walked in front of the jet, and signaled for takeoff. Mike revved his engine and began rolling down the runway. He lifted off and soared into the night sky. In the distance, he could see faint flashes and fires of the clashing American and Chinese forces. He reached a stable altitude above the fleet and began circling. He looked out over the vast American fleet, consisting of a dozen carriers, five battleships, and literally hundreds of other ships.

Off in the distance, on the horizon, he could see the lights of a retreating Chinese fleet. Mike banked to the right, and began flying over the fleet. Dozens of other fighters patrolled the area.

" Viper 2-1, this is Viper 2-2. Come in, over," Mike said into his radio.

" Roger, Viper 2-2. What do you need?"

" I was wondering what our mission is," Mike said.

" Patrol, Watson. Out," his squadron leader said.

Mike shook his head and resumed patrolling. Suddenly, a shockwave blasted over his plane, making him hit heavy bumps. A large explosion came from the carrier _Yorktown_, followed by explosions from the battleships _North Carolina_, _Florida_, and _Oregon_. The ships split in half, and fires caught. Explosions came from dozens of other ships, lighting up the fleet.

" Viper squadron! Peel off, bandits incoming!" the leader yelled.

Six Xian-800 fighters appeared on Mike's radar. He fired his P-80's six cannons at one, taking it down. The remaining five dove straight for the _Enterprise_.

" Kamikazes!" Mike screamed.

The five fighters impacted on the carriers, blowing it in half. The carrier's two parts lay in the water, slowly sinking.

Mike dove for the water, and pulled up twenty feet up, just below radar. He dodged American planes falling from the sky.

" Viper squadron? Come in, any from Viper?!" Mike cried.

No response.

Mike looked at his feet, and slammed his feet on the pedal, then pulled a lever that switched his plane from hydrogen power to nuclear power. If Mike didn't engage anything, he could land in San Diego by late morning to early afternoon.

Thirty minutes after he escaped the destruction of the fleet, a priority message came through on all military channels.

" All United States military forces, Codename Nucflash. I repeat, Nucflash. All forces are to be ready for an attack. This message will repeat," a voice said on the radio.

" Shit, shit, shit," Mike panted. Tears began welling in his eyes. He checked his fuel; he could make it to Hawaii at least.

Suddenly, a new voice came in through the radio. He sounded Chinese, but was speaking English.

" Attention, American forces. Today will be the day the war ends. Today will be the day you all _die_. Today will be the day the glorious People's Republic of China celebrates victory!"

Nearing San Diego, Mike was surprised at how early it was when he got there. The skyline of the coastal city popped into view, and Mike was ecstatic. The NUCFLASH message must have been a glitch.

Mike's hope was dwindled a little bit when he saw the armada of bombers over the city.

His hope was shattered when the first mushroom cloud rose from the downtown. He ripped off his oxygen mask and stared at the multiple other clouds rising from the city. The shockwaves screeched out from the city, and hit his fighter. His systems shut off, and Mike's jet went into a spiral. He tried pulling up, and went screeching for downtown San Diego.

The impact almost killed him. Almost.


	9. Chapter 9: Fail Safe

**October 23rd, 2077, 7 A.M**  
Cpl. James Matthews  
US Army  
Seattle, Washington

James rolled over and groaned. He looked at the clock and rubbed his eyes. It was 7 A.M. He grabbed his assault rifle and slid the bolt back. He got up, and jumped out of the truck. The sunlight was blinding, and the streets were full. They were all crowded around it, with soldiers in a line, holding them off.

" What the hell is going on?" Kyle asked, popping up behind him.

" I.. I dunno," James responded, scratching his head.

Lt. Lawton came over to them and said, " Protests. Fan out, and attempt to keep order."

Kyle and James went through the wall of soldiers and into the mob.

" Murderers! Fucking murderers!" someone yelled.

The second the two got out of the mob, a high pitched siren began going. Everyone began looking around for the source of the sound, when they realized it was all around them. The mob dispersed. The soldiers looked around too. James looked at Lt. Lawton's face. A look of terror was on it. A long hum came over the city.

" What is that noise? Is this a drill?" Kyle asked, frustrated. James looked directly up, and shook his head. James pointed to the sky. Kyle looked too, and gasped.

Bombers. Dozens of bombers. They flew wingtip to wingtip, in tight formation, over the city. In the distance, James could hear the distinct roar of US fighter jets. James remembered his nuclear training, and slung his weapon. He spun to face the crowd.

" Everyone to the shelter! Everyone! Go, go!" he roared.

People in the crowd began screaming and crying. Kyle stepped up to James and began pointing to where the nearest shelter was. The cannons of the fighters opened up above them, and bombers began falling from the sky.

The soldiers began running for the shelter, and when they got to it, they made a wall. By then, a few civilians had gotten into the shelter, but the vast majority were being held off by the soldiers. Kyle and James ran through the crowd and dove behind their fellow men.

" Get back! Get the fuck back!" Lt. Lawton screamed at the civilians. The civilians kept pressing. Kyle and James stood with the lieutenant, weapons at the ready.

" Orders, sir!" Private Wilson cried.

Lawton looked around, and then barked, " Open up! Don't let too many in."

The wall of soldiers opened, and civilians streamed inside. A green light above the staircase blinked after each passing civilian.

" Close the gap when the red light comes on!" Lawton yelled.

" Yes, sir!" the soldiers responded in unison.

James and Kyle stood aside as civilian after civilian poured into the shelter. It was no Vault, but it could hold against an atomic explosion. If hit directly, though.. the people inside wouldn't feel a thing.

" Why hasn't there been an explosion yet?!" Kyle asked loudly, turning to James.

James shrugged, then said, " They must be a screen. Drain our fighters bullets."

" Jesus. This can't be happening," Kyle said, rubbing his eyes.

" Alright. Start falling into the shelter, soldiers," Lt. Lawton said. The soldiers began going down the stairs, with civvies in front of them and behind them.

" Stark! Matthews! Hold them back and then fall into the shelter. Lethal force is authorized," Lawton said to them, descending into the darkness.

James gulped and then turned to face the crowd. Kyle stepped forward and held his rifle at his hip.

" Get back! Get the heck back!" James yelled, thrusting his weapon forward at the crowd.

" I'll shoot! Don't think I won't!" Kyle roared.

The red light came on and started blinking. James and Kyle looked at each other and began backing slowly, closing the large steel doors. Suddenly, a gunshot came from outside. James immediately looked to his friend and gasped.

Kyle clutched a gunshot wound to his abdomen, and groaned. He fell backwards, pointing at the crowd. James snapped his eyes forward to face the shooter.

An older man clasped an old M1911 shakily, pointing it at James. He breathed heavily, and slowly said, " Step aside, son. Let us in." James stood still.

" Damn it, I said move!" the man yelled. James grasped his rifle, and began raising it. The old man was about to pull the trigger when Kyle jumped into the man, knocking the pistol out of his hands. Kyle immediately fell backwards onto the ground. The old man picked up the pistol and aimed it at James. James was faster. James shouldered his rifle and fired a three round burst into him. The old man screamed, and fell back into the crowd, who backed up.

" You killed him!"

" Murderer!"

" Let us in, you bastard!"

James grabbed both of the doors, and with a rush of adrenaline, closed them both, amid the shrieks and strength of the other people. The room was completely dark, with the red light illuminating the room. Kyle groaned and slowly got up, clutching his side.

" Damn it. Let's get down there," he said. James picked up Kyle's rifle and handed it to him. They began to strut down the stairs to the shelter. James paused, and Kyle stopped a few yards ahead. James turned to face the door, and stared at it. People pounded on the door and screamed. Even through a foot of steel, James could hear the screams as if the people were right next to him. Among the crowd, he could pick out crying children. Good, American children.

" Come on, man. Let's go," Kyle said, putting his hand on James shoulder.

" Just like Shanghai, isn't it?" James mumbled. Kyle lifted his hand off of James' shoulder and stepped down a stair.

" No. It's not. You know that," Kyle responded.

James looked down and breathed in deeply.

" Is it not? We're letting them _die_."

" Their sacrifice will be reflected by those who survive, James," Kyle said.

" You sound just like the old LT."

" Shut it. You know I don't. Seriously, let's get back to the rest of the squad."

Kyle began back down the stairs while James slowly turned away from the door, following him. Their footsteps were the only noises piercing the air in the hall. The stairs went down, and down, and down, and down..

They began to hear voices as they reached what they thought was the bottom of the stairwell.

" Do you think they made it?"

" Shit, shit, shit. This is it!"

" Please tell me the top door was closed."

" Oh my God! It's them!" someone yelled.

Kyle and James got off of the bottom step to face two massive steel doors, with a dozen soldiers outside. The group immediately ran to the two, and began congratulating them.

" Attention!" a booming voice yelled.

The soldiers immediately snapped to attention where they stood.

Lieutenant Lawton came through the group and was immediately dumbfounded.

" Matthews? Stark? I thought you guys didn't make it! Come on, get inside the bunker! We're gonna close the doors," he yelled.

" Yessir!" everyone yelled, and began filing into the shelter.

" Sir? How are these doors gonna hold against radiation?" James asked as he passed by.

" Lead enforced steel doors. Three foot thick doors," Lawton said, knocking on the door. After everyone was in, the doors were shut and sealed.

As the soldiers got to the barracks of the bunker, and sat down, they turned on the radio. James could still eerily hear the screams of people.

" Shit. I really hope this is a drill," one guy said across from him.

" It's not," Kyle said, looking up.

" You okay? Have you been shot?" someone asked Kyle, pointing at the wound.

" Yeah, I got shot. Some elderly fella," Kyle responded.

" Well I'm the medic. I could check you out?" Corporal Eddie Jameson asked.

" Sure. Later, though," Kyle said.

"_ Attention Citizens of the United States, this is an Emergency Alert. This is NOT a drill. Now, a message from the President of the United States._" an automated voice on the radio said. The soldiers all drew deep breaths and leaned in closer to the radio. James turned off the radio and then turned on the television. On all channels, a picture saying _Please Stand By_ was frozen on the screen. Suddenly, it flashed to the Press Room of the White House. The President stood at the podium, cameras flashing and reporters yelling. The President held up his hand as to try and hush the press. The press actually quieted down for once.

" At 10 A.M., Eastern Standard Time, dozens of atomic weapons were detonated on the West Coast. That's 7 A.M. for any survivors over there. Cities struck include the following: Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco, Spokane, Phoenix, Sacramento, Fresno, San Diego, and soon to be more. We have launched bombers and missiles in response. If anyone on the West Coast can hear me, please, stay in your shelters. This... is the end of the world. God help us all," he said, before looking up, along with the rest of the room. The faint sound of heavy rounds came from above them, and a man in a suit grabbed the President and tugged him back. The camera zoomed out, to show the President and a group of men and women going down a flight of stair marked _Presidential Metro_. Suddenly, a loud _BOOM_ came from above the White House and the camera line cut. _Please Stand By_ came back on the screen.

" Did.. did we just lose the White House?" a soldier exclaimed. Everyone in the room began panting and then, all of a sudden, the room began shaking a little bit. Then, the ground came out from under the soldiers, knocking them to the ground. As they began rising, the walls began vibrating, and three sharp explosions were heard dozens of yards above the shelter. The walls violently shook, and then slowed to a stop.

The room was more silent than death.

" What the hell was that?" Corporal Jameson cried.

" I don't know, bro," Private Rick McLean responded, rubbing his forehead.

James and Kyle looked at each other and solemnly exchanged nods.

James looked up at the ceiling and couldn't hear the screams. He could only hear whispers. His mind began screaming at him, flooding him with memories of the Shanghai Slaughter.

The bodies. The laughter. The blood.

The mental pain made James scream, startling everyone else in the room. Kyle leaped up, forgetting about his wound, and ran over to his friend.

James stopped screaming and threw his head into his hands.

He remembered the day Domino went down on patrol.

Then the night attack that killed Zealot and Sicily.

And finally the day that Sarge was killed in the helicopter crash in Hong Kong.

And now, with the bombs falling above, destroying all they knew.


	10. Chapter 10: Launch

**October 23rd, 2077, 5:30 A.M.**  
Captain Gary Sanders  
US Air Force  
Edwards AFB, California

" What the hell is that?" Nichols exclaimed, pointing at his screen. Everyone in the building came over to his station. Gary came over with a cup of coffee, and took a slurp when he got there. Immediately, he spat it out in shock.

" Well, shit," Billy said, crossing his arms.

" No. No! This can't be happening!" Hernandez yelled, beginning to sob.

On the screen were hundreds, if not thousands of contacts coming across the Pacific.

" Shit. Get the silos open and prep bombers. We're gonna strike back," Gary ordered, pointing at everyone's stations. Three beeps came from his computer, and Gary dashed for it, falling into his chair. He opened a message from NORAD command.

_NORTH AMERICAN AEROSPACE DEFENSE COMMAND PRIORITY MESSAGE_

_ENCRYPTION CODE: HOTEL CHARLIE_

_FROM: CODENAME PROPHET_

_TO: ALL UNITED STATES AIR DEFENSE __PERSONNEL_

_DATE: OCTOBER 23, 2077_

_SUBJECT: NUCFLASH_

_CLASSIFICATION: NONE_

_[START]_

_ALL UNITED STATES MILITARY FORCES HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO UTILIZE ATOMIC/NUCLEAR WEAPONS AGAINST THE FOLLOWING LIST OF TARGETS:_

_DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA,_

_UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS,_

_PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM,_

_REPUBLIC OF KOREA,_

_SAUDI ARABIA,_

_IRAN,_

_IRAQ,_

_TURKEY,_

_AND THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA._

_THIS LIST OF TARGETS HAS ACTIVELY INITIATED OPEN ATOMIC WARFARE ON AMERICAN MILITARY PERSONNEL OR CIVILIANS. _

_THIS IS NOT A DRILL. REPEAT, NOT A DRILL._

_/END/_

Gary slumped back. He leaned forwards, passed his computer, and flipped up a glass case. A set of five buttons lay on it. He first pressed a yellow one, which turned on the emergency sirens in the Bakersfield, Lancaster, and Mojave area. Then, Harris yelled, " Silos ready!"

Hernandez was nowhere to be seen. He was long gone, and had abandoned his fellow soldiers.

Nichols yelled, " Bombers are on standby, sir!"

" Good," Gary said, before pressing the yellow button. He looked up and through the window. Dozens of bombers were lined up on the runways, with fighters taking off on the side of them. The bombers engines flared, and the lead ones began taking off. The ground began to shake slightly, and the walls vibrated. The hum of the engines droned out all noise, and began to die off.

" Skies are clear, sir," Will said, leaning back.

Gary pressed the red button.

Missiles activated, and began to lift from their silos. They flew straight up, and then arced to their targets.

" Looks like the first missiles are gonna hit San Diego and Los Angeles," Nichols said.

Gary stood up, and said, " Then may God help them all."


End file.
